Recuperative muffle-furnace.



- PATENTED MAY 7, 1907. L. c. HAMLINK. I

RECUPERATIVE MUFFLE FURNACE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 28, 1906.

' 3 SHEETB-SHBET 1.

PATENTED MAY 7, '1907.

L. G. HAMLINK'. REOUPERATIVE MUPFLE FURNACE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 28, 1906.

'3 SHIEHTSBHEET 2.

PATENTED MAY v, 1907.

L. G. HAMLINK.

' REOUPERATIVE MUFPLE FURNACE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 28. 1906.

s snnms-snnni 3.

7%4 V j /6 /M UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE;

LAZRUBY o. HAMLINK, OF SrLoUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO GAS BENCH CONSTRUCTION COMPANY; OF Sr. LOUIS, MIS OURI, A CORPORATION OF MISSOURI.

Specification of Letters Patent ratenta May 7, 1907.

Application filed September 28,1906- Serial No. 336,553.

To all whmn it Jnay concern.-

Be it known that 1, LAZRUBYC. HAMLINK, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of St. Louis and State of Missouri,

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Recuperative Muffle-Furnaces, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in recuperative muffle furnaces designed for the destructive distillation of coal in the production of coal gas and its b'y-products.

The invention more particularly consists in the. -improved construction and arrangement of the recuperators or fiues through which the secondary air is conducted into the furnace and which are located in the flue that forms thev outlet forthe, waste or burned gases of the furnace. v

Alnong the objects of the invention are to provide a large area of heating surface for said recu erators or secondary air fines, to

.provide t 'sheating surface with as little frictional interference to the flow of the secondary air and of the waste gases as is possible, and to provide a construction in which the waste gas flues are readily accessible for cleaning, all of which will be fully understood from the following description of the con-' struction illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a half sectional elevation of a recuperative furnace or bench of eight retorts, the se ion being taken on line 11 of Fig. 2. Fig.'2 is a transverse sectional elevation of the furnace taken on line 22 of Fi 1'. Fig. 3 is a top plan section, the lower ha being taken on: line 3 of Fig. 1, and the upper. half on line 3- of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation of the lower part of the furnace taken on line 44 of Fig. 1.-

In said drawings, '1 designates the fire chamber or generator of the furnace and 2 the feeding hole through which the coke or coal for fuel is charged into the generator and onto its grate bars 3. The arched roof 4 of this fire chamber or generator is pierced by a lurality of openings or nostrils 5 leading u 1nto the combustion chamber 6 within whic the retorts 7 are mounted in such manner as to emit the products of combustion to c ir.-- cu ate around them.

The primary air for the initial combustion is introduced into the ash pit 8' beneath the tions of the furnace,

rows in the construction illustrated, the two grate bars through an inlet flue 9 (Fig. 3), the entrance of air to which is controlled by an adjustable door 10, and the products of combustion resulting from the passageof this primary air up through the fire chamber 1, pass into the combustion chamber 6 through the nostrils 5. The secondary air for completing the oxidation in thecombustion chamber is introduced through inlet passages 1 1 and 12, the entrance ofair to which is controlled by adjustable doors 13 and 14, the air from these passages being conducted upwardly through a number of hollow tile flues 15, that constitute the recuperators of the furnace, and 'being finally discharged into the lower middle portion of the combustion chamber through passages 16. The ultimate products of combustion leave the combustion chamber by passing downwardly through an outlet or smoke flue 17, and the hollow tile 15 are arranged across this flue 17 so that the secondary air passing through them is heated to a high temperature by the outgoing products.

of, combustion in this smoke flue.

As thus far described, the construction of the furnace is generally old, and except -as hereinafterset forth, may be varied widely without in any way departing from the present invention, which relates to the particular construction and arrangement of the hollow tile or recuperators 15 and the adjacent por These recu erators, in the present improvement, exten across the flue 17 in an upwardly inclined direction, '01. e. upwardly inclined toward the discharge end 0 the recuperator in'each case, so that the secondary air in flowing through the recuper- -ators from the inlet flues 11 and 12, in the bottom of the furnace, to the passages 16 through which it is discharged into the corn-' bustion chamber above, may constantly be rising in the manner natural to air which is being heated, while at the same time it is belng directed across the smoke flues 17 a suilicient number of times to enable it to absorb the greatestpracticable amount of the heat of the waste gases passingout through said smoke flue.

As herein shown, the recuperators 15 are provided in .a number of horizontal} rows, each recuperator of each row being'arrange at the same inclination. There are four suc lowermost rows consisting of five recuperators each, and the upper two rows consisting of six recuperators each. The recuperators may-either be arranged in the same coincident vertical ,plane' or staggered with relation' to each other; In the cbnstruction shown, those'of the lowermost row and the two uppermost rows are arranged in coincident vertical planes, while the recuperators of the third row are shown as staggeredwith relation to the planes of the other recuperators.

The air enters the lower end of the lowermost row of the recuperators through a horizontal passage 18, which communicates with and receives the air from the inletpassages 11 and 12. The air is discharged from these lowermost recuperators into a second hori zontal passa e 19 on the opposite side of the vertical smo e flue 17. hesecond row of recuperators 15 receives the air from this passage 19 and conducts it back across the smoke flue into a third horizontal passage 20,

and the same action is then repeated by the third and fourth rows of recuperators which,

in turn, conduct the air across the smoke flue from the-passage 20 into an opposite passage 21 ,located above the passage 19, and then back across the smoke fiue again into a passage 22 that is located above thechambers 18 .and 20, and which communicates with the passages '16 through which the air is finally discharged into the combustlon chamber. I

The. endsof the recuperators where they enter; the several passages 1822, are received between recessed tile 24, which form the topxand bottom walls of these passages,

.-.and--they are held laterally-by tile 25 which areafittedibetween 'the ends of the adjacent '40 recuperators and 00-0 erate therewith to forrnlthe inner or smo e flue-walls of said ,passa'gesl In thecase of the passages 19, 2O

aand 21,-each'of which receives the ends of two adjacent horizontal rows of recupera-tors, the 'contiguous- 'ends of the latter are separated by, horizontal rows of tile 26 which also separate thetile 24 and some of which are made hollowfas at. 27 to permitthe air to pass up through the passage on its way from one row 5 of'said recuperators' to the next uppermost row. the case of the lowermost and uppermost: assages 18 and.22, each of awhich receives t e ends of only a single row of re- ,cupera'tors', .the separating tile 26 are, of course, not employed.

a. In the operation of the furnace, thus described, the coke or coal fuel 1s charged into 'thegenera-tor lthrough the feeding hole 2 and onto the atebars 3 to the dept of sev- 69 end feet. T e-furnace is-then closed as nearly air tight as possible'and. just suflir cient prirnary'air is admitted through the mlet flue 9' to oduce a primary combustion of vthj nfuel. he carbon monoxid resulting from this primary combustion passes up through the nostrils 5 and there comes in contact with the heated secondary air which enters from the recuperators through the passages 16. The combustion is then com pleted in the combustion chamber by the ,re- 70 v duction of the carbon mon-oxid to carbon dioxid which, after passing up and around the retorts 7, escapes downwardly through the smoke flue 17, where it incidentally envelops the-recuperato'rs'15. and gives up to them its surplus heat whichis thereupon absorbed bythe secondary air and carried back into the combustion chamber, as described. The provision of the two inlet passages 11 and 12 for the secondary air, enables the relative 8o amounts of air admitted to the front and back of the bench to be separately regulated by means of the doors l3 and 14, the several horizontal passages 18-22 being to this end divided about midway of their length by tile 8 27 (Fig. 3), and the inlet passages 11 and 12 entering on opposite sides of these division tile, as'shown. This, in effect, divides the recuperators into two vertical banks, each of which is separately supplied with air and one of which discharges toward the back of the bench, while the other discharges toward its front end. i

The advantages in.the peculiar construction and arrangement of the recuperators 5 which characterize this invention, are the 7 large area of heating surface provided for the secondary air flues or recuperators; and the reduction of friction in the conduction of the secondary air through the recuperators to the combustion chamber, together with the reduction in friction in the conduction of the products of combustion down' through the smoke flue, as com ared with that which ob tains in furnaces o c this character heretofore 1 o 5 known. For it is obvious that the less the V resistance offered to the ingoing secondary air and to ,the outgoingwaste gases, the less chimney draft required,-and the less chimney draft the more economical the fuel consumption and the longer the life of the settings, owingvto the reduction in the cuttin action plf the flame in the combustion chamber and ues.

The improved recuperator construction described is applicable to any style or size of bench and the same hollow recu erator tile 15 and co-operating tile24', 25 an 26may be used, no matter how manytiers deep the bench is; 7 And the construction is further more such as to enable the waste gas or smoke flue 17 tobe readily cleaned at any time through cleaning doors 28 provided for the purpose (Figs. 1 and 4).

I claim as my invention 1,. Ina recuperative furnace, a downwardly leadingoutlet flue-for the :waste gases, and a plurality of inclined recuperator fiues extend- 1ng in z1 zag arrangement up the outlet flue and disc arging into the combustion chan1 I 0 Correctibnln Letters Patent No. 852,506.

her, said recuperative flues being composed of a succession of rows of separate, hollow tile, the upper ends of each row of which are arranged to discharge into the lower ends of the next superjacent row, and means for admitting secondar air into the lower row of tile, to be heate by the waste ases of the surrounding outlet flue and disc arged into the combustion chamber, substantially as and for the purpose set forth;

2. Ina recuperative furnace, a leading outlet flue for the waste gases, horizontal passages formed on o posite sides'of said outletfluc, and upwardly inclined hollow tile'recuperators extending across said flue and communicating with said passages at their opposite ends to form a continuous flue through which secondary air is discharged into the combustion chamber of the furnace, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a recuperative furnace, a downwardly leadingoutlet flue for the waste gases, horizontal passages formed on o posite sides of said outlet flue, upwardly inc ined hollow tile recuperators extending across said flue and communicating with said passages at their opposite ends to form a continuous flue for in the Patent Oflice.

[sEALi downwardly Signed and sealed this 31st day of October, A. D., 1911.

the secondary air, a partition dividing said assages so as to separate the recuperators '1I1t0 two banks,. air inlets leading 1nto the lowermost passage from opposite banks of recu erators to the front-and back of the benc substantially as and for the purpose set forth. v

4. In a recuperative furnace, a downwardly leading outlet flue for the waste gases, horizontal passages formed on o posite sides of said outlet flue, upwardly inc 'ned hollow tile recuperatofrs extending across said flue and communicating with said passages at their olprposite ends to form a continuous flue t ough-which secondary air is discharged into the combustion chamber, and co-o erating tile forming the inner walls of sai passages and receiving the entering ends of the recuperators, substantially as and for the purpose set forth. I i

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I aflix my signature in presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 14th day of September, A. D. 1906.

LAZRUBY C. HAMLINK.

Witnesses:

PERCY WERNER, M. E. WATSON.

It is hereby certified that in Letters Paar-No. 852,506, granted May 7, 1907, for an improvement in Recuperative Mame-Furnaces, in the grant, and in the heading, preamble, and signature to the specification, the name of the .patentee is erroneously Written and printed Lazruhy C. Hamlin k, whereas said name should be written 7 r and printed Lazenby U. Hamlink; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case i' E. B. MooRE, Commissioner of Patents.

Correctibnln Letters Patent No. 852,506.

her, said recuperative flues being composed of a succession of rows of separate, hollow tile, the upper ends of each row of which are arranged to discharge into the lower ends of the next superjacent row, and means for admitting secondar air into the lower row of tile, to be heate by the waste ases of the surrounding outlet flue and disc arged into the combustion chamber, substantially as and for the purpose set forth;

2. Ina recuperative furnace, a leading outlet flue for the waste gases, horizontal passages formed on o posite sides'of said outletfluc, and upwardly inclined hollow tile'recuperators extending across said flue and communicating with said passages at their opposite ends to form a continuous flue through which secondary air is discharged into the combustion chamber of the furnace, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a recuperative furnace, a downwardly leadingoutlet flue for the waste gases, horizontal passages formed on o posite sides of said outlet flue, upwardly inc ined hollow tile recuperators extending across said flue and communicating with said passages at their opposite ends to form a continuous flue for in the Patent Oflice.

[sEALi downwardly Signed and sealed this 31st day of October, A. D., 1911.

the secondary air, a partition dividing said assages so as to separate the recuperators '1I1t0 two banks,. air inlets leading 1nto the lowermost passage from opposite banks of recu erators to the front-and back of the benc substantially as and for the purpose set forth. v

4. In a recuperative furnace, a downwardly leading outlet flue for the waste gases, horizontal passages formed on o posite sides of said outlet flue, upwardly inc 'ned hollow tile recuperatofrs extending across said flue and communicating with said passages at their olprposite ends to form a continuous flue t ough-which secondary air is discharged into the combustion chamber, and co-o erating tile forming the inner walls of sai passages and receiving the entering ends of the recuperators, substantially as and for the purpose set forth. I i

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I aflix my signature in presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 14th day of September, A. D. 1906.

LAZRUBY C. HAMLINK.

Witnesses:

PERCY WERNER, M. E. WATSON.

It is hereby certified that in Letters Paar-No. 852,506, granted May 7, 1907, for an improvement in Recuperative Mame-Furnaces, in the grant, and in the heading, preamble, and signature to the specification, the name of the .patentee is erroneously Written and printed Lazruhy C. Hamlin k, whereas said name should be written 7 r and printed Lazenby U. Hamlink; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case i' E. B. MooRE, Commissioner of Patents.

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 852,506, granted May 7, 1907 for an improvement in Recuperative Mufiie-Furnaces, in the grant, and in the heading,

preamble, and signature to the specification, the name of the patentee is erroneously written and printed Lazruby C. Hamlink, whereas said name should be written and printed Lazenby 0. HamZiwlr; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 31st day of October, A. D., 1911.

E. B. MOORE,

Commissioner of Patents. 

